1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to load handling apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for stacking elongated or lengthy material like pipes on a stacking bed or stand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Known in the art is a loading apparatus which is arranged as shown in FIG. 1 for automatically stacking elongated material like extruded products of aluminum, copper and the like while preventing damage thereto resulting from collisions of the individual elongated products. More specifically, the apparatus includes a stacking bed 2 which is movably supported on a conveyor 3 and provided with a horizontal, sectionally U-shaped channel 1. On the other hand, a collector 5 is located on one side of the bed to gather a group of elongated strips or materials 4 of a predetermined number corresponding to the width of receptacle channel 1, collector 5 cooperating with an overhead feeder 6 which transfers each group of elongated strips 4 from collector 5 to stacking bed 2. In this instance, elongated strips 4 which are transferred by feeder 6 are supported on transverse support beams 7, which are also stacked in receptacle channel 1 alternately with the layers of the elongated strips since it is difficult to remove the support beams under the weight of elongated strips 4.
The above-mentioned conventional apparatus is disadvantageously complicated due to the necessity of collector 5 which gathers a number of elongated strips 4 prior to the transfer to stacking bed 2 and a support beam feeder 9 which is associated with collector 5. In addition, support beams 7 which are stacked alternately with the layer of elongated strips 4 lower the capacity of the stacking bed 2 by forming substantial dead spaces. The conventional loading apparatus has another inherent problem in that it requires fabrication, supply and recovery of a great number of support beams 7 and the troublesome operations connected therewith.